Elderly tenants left without heating for a week

Elderly tenants of a sheltered housing scheme were left without heating and hot water for a week after a gas leak.

Deanna Prestige, 76, said residents of 12 flats at Romaleyn Gardens in Paignton were informed the issue would be fixed within a day, but were left unable to use the heating or shower for seven days.

The Teachers Housing Association which runs the housing scheme apologised and said the heating and hot water system had been "fully repaired" and "plans are in motion" for a full replacement.

Ms Prestige said residents, some of whom are aged in their 90s, did not feel they were kept informed about what was happening and hopes for more "thought and consideration" in the future.

Ms Prestige has lived in the accommodation for 15 years.

She said they were told about the gas leak on 9 April, and were left without hot water and heating until it was fixed on 16 April.

These are the "basics anyone needs", she said.

"To not be able to have a shower for a whole week, in this day and age is just not on."

She added: "To leave elderly people some with health issues in such cold conditions, without checking on them is just bang out of order."

She feels residents were not shown "the care and attention they should have been."

The Teachers Housing Association said it wrote to tenants to apologise for the disruption and thanked them for their "patience and understanding".

It added it had provided support which included "temporary heating solutions and access to alternate showering facilities".

Ms Prestige said each tenant was given a small fan heater but claimed it was "only adequate enough to heat up one room with the door shut", leaving the rest of her flat "like going into the arctic".

The housing association said a full replacement of the communal heating system would take place "as soon as practically possible", with each tenant offered a "compensation payment".

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